Its often overwhelming the amount of injustices to be fought against in the world, in my country
(Nigeria) and yet how little people are willing to join this fight to the death
if it comes to that.
Even i who is willing to fight (not yet to the death
though) gets confused about what to fight. What remains the absolute truth
however is that we must each join in to fight for something, anything. You may
fight to eradicate ugliness and you may also fight to bring in beauty. We must
all leave this earth knowing we did something, however little to make the
planet better for the future, for our conscience. Our efforts should also not be
scattered because scattered effort means scattered results.
(“henceforth i will use ‘i ‘very often
because i need you to make a personal decision. Think of you as a person with
your unique traits and interests, what will you fight for / against?”)
What then do i fight against or for (as the case may be)? Do
i fight against domestic violence? Do i fight for the woman who lives in
constant terror of her husband yet dares not leave out of fear of him but also
for her children, for her two year old child, for fear of her community and the
shaming that will ensue from her leaving her husband’s house? For the woman who many a time is hospitalized
from the brutalization of society on her husband which he so indelicately
writes upon her body?
Do i fight Against jungle justice? Against
violence of all kinds perpetuated against women? Against rape and rapists? For
the little five year old girl whose childhood is being taken forcefully away
from her by a thirty year old man? For the daughter whose father, supposed to
protect her, defiles her night after night? For the innocent teenager caught
out late at night due to traffic or finding her way to the church for a night
vigil or a 5am program? Will i fight Against sexual harassment? Against
lecturers who insist on sex to give a student the marks they already deserve?
Against employers of labour who peddle their employees like sex workers and in
turn use their employees sexually? Against unemployment especially for ladies?
Against institutions that are gender biased either openly or hidden? Against all injustices against women?
Do i
fight to bring education, specialized education ( Computer skills, business
know-how, etc) to women and men of all kinds? Against early marriage? Against marriage
without the consent of the lady supposed to be getting married? Do i fight for
homosexuals who are denied their right to love freely and openly? Against the
politicians who use our young boys as thugs, who steal the nations funds and
throw the rest of the nation and its populace into penury while enriching other
countries?
Do i fight against our fallen institutions especially the
educational sector that annually delivers half-baked graduates who can’t tell
the difference between short-term rewards (e.g. N5000 to vote in a criminal)
for long-term hardships (e.g. the criminal enters power and throws the entire
nation into chaos) and short-term hardship (e.g. saving up your pennies and
even skipping meals so you can pay for a certain training course ) for
long-term reward(e.g. Going higher in your career hence ability to attract
better opportuinities for your life ). Do i fight against religious bodies that
swindle people of their hard earned money whilst at the same time refusing to
teach the people how to make money?
Do i fight against a system that teaches
the value of materialism above integrity and hardwork? A system that teaches
girls that they are only worth what is between their legs, only worth the
complexion of their skin, only worth the rich married man that graces their
beds now and again and graces their bank accounts while their conscience is
sold for today? Etc .
There is so much to
fight, yet to be effective we must fight predominantly one, one goliath for
each David girl and boy, woman and man. What will your goliath be? What will
you fight for?
Feel free to share in the comments box below.
Namaste {I bow to the god within you},
Call me Indigo.
